The Grenada gazette., 1887-09-10

King Ludwig u Bavaria.
| 1t 10 difficult for the traveller in West
,rn Europe to find matter for descrip
ton which is not already SO hack,
neycd that Il is impertinent to say any
thing more about II. The castles o.
the lato King of Rayarias therstogs
afford an opportunity quite unusual
for no oguidc books Excepting those
published within the last few months)
have any thing to say about them. All
the world knows something of the
habits Of the eccentric monarch, and
how his love Of seclusion prompted
him 70 keep both his person and hii
habitations jealously guarded from tn,
gaze Of vulgar mortals. In oonse
quence Of this the castlss-the expsas,
of whose construction has wcighet
down the Bavarian budget SO heavily
Of late year1 1--have hitherto. besn, en-
tireiy Inaccessible TO visitors. SCOT
after. the death Of the King. however,
the Prime Regent Luitpold determined
to open the castles to the inspec.
ton Of the public, and they
are now attracting great crowds
of visitors from all parts Of Europe.
The castles are three in number
Schloss Herrenchicmsee, beautifully
situated on an island in the Chiemsee;
Schloss Einderhof. and Schloss Neu.
Schwanstein, both of the latter being
situated to the southwest OF Munich. in
the region which may perhaps be best
described as the country Of the passion
play. Linderhof and Neu. .Schwanstein
are comparatively difficult Of access.
the latter being reached only after a
long Journey by post, and the former
removed even to . considerable dis.
tance from any post road. Herren.
chicmsee, on the other hand, is easily
reached from Munich, and the entire
visA requires but a single day. This
castle is the only one of which am
able to speak from personal cbserva.
ton.
The general impression produced by
this castle is similar to that pro-
duced BY the palace of Versailles. Both
alike have marble "cour d 'honneur"
on the one side and park with artis.
tically designed fountains on the other.
The two facades upon the side of the
park are strikingly alike. The interior
arrangements of Herrcnchicmsee are
also similar to those of Versailles,
many of the rooms in the Bavarian
palace being copied after rooms in the
palace at Versailles, with the evident
purpose Of not only matching them,
but also Of surprising them in richness
Of ofdecoration. Unfortuna ately, although
perhaps fortunately for the Bavarian
exchequer, Herrenchiemsee is not com.
plete. a whole series Of halls remain.
ing to be decorated by some future
monarch who may be desirous of con-
tinuing the tradition Of his line. The
completed apartments, which are over
twenty in number, are decorated with
richness which defes any descrip.
ton. Paintings upon walls and cell.
ings, gold work in relief, unique tap
estry hangings, and superb vases,
mantels of the rarest marbles, and
chandeliers Of Venetian glass. porce-
lain and ivory-these and all other
conceivable adornments dazzle the
eye at every step until there remains
only confused sense Of having been
transported into the midst of such
splendors as have hitherto only been
dreamed of. We have been accus.
toned 20 think Of such scenes as cx.
istent in fairyland. or in Arabian
Nights palaces. not in reality upon
the everyday earth.
General criticism Of the work must
be confined mainly to two points The
decoration is overdone for the most
part. 1t is no exaggeration to say
that the decoration is much richer than
that of Versailles, but it is also true
that severe taste will find the higher
satisfaction in Versailles. The second
point is that Herrcnchiemsee loses
much of its due effect by its very new.
ness. Fifty years hence it will be far
more beautiful than now; its gold will
be sobered in luster, its marbles
mellowed into something more Of
harmony Then and for centuries
onward this and the other palaces OF
King Louis II. will be counted among
the most remarkable monuments of
Europe, and millions of visitors will
throng to see them Even from the
economical point Of view they will
prove satisfactory investment, how
ever uniustitiablc their construction
may. under the circumstances, have
been. and however are already out
dated both the political system which
made their construction possible and
the political idea which they were de-
signed to perpetuate. - William Morton
Payne, in Chicago Msws.
! -
Mr. Staylate has been entertain
ing Miss Lila with an account Of the
doings Of the Kit Carson Rifle Club,
and Is just entering upon the preface